PSSI Head Scout Simon Tahamata has shed light on a significant challenge in identifying and nurturing the talented players destined to become the future backbone of the Indonesian National Team.
The Dutch-born scout, who began his pivotal role in late May 2025, is primarily tasked with unearthing future prospects for Indonesia’s national football aspirations. His initial assignment as PSSI Head Scout involved closely monitoring promising young players for the Indonesian U-17 National Team, particularly with an eye on their participation in the U-17 Asian Cup in 2026.
However, the former Ajax Amsterdam legend expressed his concern that Indonesia’s current approach to talent identification begins at a significantly later age compared to international best practices. Specifically, talent scouting in Indonesia typically commences only when players reach 13-14 years old. This stands in stark contrast to leading football nations like the Netherlands, where comprehensive talent selection programs are initiated as early as 8 years of age.
Despite this disparity, Tahamata, who has Maluku heritage, maintains a patient approach to the Indonesian context. He acknowledges the impracticality of immediately implementing such early-age scouting across the entire nation due to various logistical considerations.
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The PSSI scouting team is actively forging closer ties with stakeholders in youth football development across the archipelago. Simon observes that numerous football academies and schools nationwide have already commenced fundamental training for children as young as 6-8 years old. This means PSSI’s crucial role at the 13-14 year-old stage is to effectively identify which of these young players possess genuine talent.
“Indeed, in the Netherlands, prospective future players are scouted and selected from as young as 8 years old,” Simon Tahamata stated in a PSSI release obtained by BolaSport.com. “Frankly, in Indonesia, commencing selection at a younger age is already a delayed effort. Here, we typically initiate scouting and selection from 13-14 years old. Gradually, we must align with European standards, where scouting begins at 8 years of age. However, this transformation will require time and a degree of patience.”
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Tahamata continued, explaining his methodology: “After all, we cannot simply impose this structure on very young children. Instead, we can proactively engage with football academies and schools. This approach is viable because foundational introductions to football at the earliest ages are paramount. By the time players reach 13-14 years old, we should already have a clear understanding of their potential,” he concluded.
Simon further acknowledged that the sheer geographical vastness of Indonesia poses a considerable hurdle to establishing a cohesive and sustainable nationwide talent development system. “Indonesia is a vast nation, and our challenge extends beyond merely identifying talent; it’s about guaranteeing these players receive consistent and ongoing development,” Simon elaborated. “The country is rich with children who possess natural talent and a strong desire to play football. However, it is crucial to instill a strong work ethic in these young aspiring athletes,” he stressed.
Summary
PSSI Head Scout Simon Tahamata, appointed in May 2025, has highlighted a significant challenge in Indonesian football talent identification, noting it typically begins at 13-14 years old. This is considerably later than in leading football nations like the Netherlands, where comprehensive scouting programs start as early as 8 years of age. His primary role involves unearthing future prospects for Indonesia’s national teams, particularly for the U-17 squad ahead of the 2026 Asian Cup.
Tahamata acknowledges that a rapid shift to earlier scouting nationwide is impractical but advocates for a patient, gradual alignment with European standards. He proposes working closely with existing football academies and schools that already provide foundational training for children aged 6-8. This approach aims to effectively identify genuine talent by the 13-14 year mark, despite the logistical hurdles posed by Indonesia’s vast geography in ensuring consistent talent development and instilling a strong work ethic.
